The temperature really dropped overnight, and I was glad for the extra blanket. Woke to a young deer grazing just outside our window. Good morning, dear!
Our hostess at Au Beau Soleil in Mont-Tremblant loves to cook and her son loves to bake so we were quite spoiled. We enjoyed pastries for a late-night snack when we returned from the ski village the night before. There were endless plates at breakfast: fresh local fruits; Greek yogurt with local maple syrup; a frittata loaded with cheese, eggs, and lots of veggies; a slice of thick bread with baked-in cheese and bacon warmed on a griddle; sliced tomatoes; juice; coffee - until finally, we begged: enough! Not to be thwarted, Karen packed us a goodie bag for the road.
Our "room" at the B&B was actually the entire first floor of Karen's home, complete with a kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom, and a living room with a wood stove. Ron entertained himself with a children's book called "L’ours qui Aimait les Arbres" The bear who loved trees. Here he is, showing me a picture of the tree-hugging bear. Perhaps this explains Ron's purchase of an all-electric car the day after we returned home....
It was an uphill ride all the way to Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré only 20 kilometers away. The trail was again paved and populated with serious cyclists flying past us in both directions. We are in the mountain segment of our “Tour Au Quebec”, or as the locals refer to this slice of paradise “the Laurentides”. There is a new greeting on the trail: Bon Rendonez instead of Bonjour. Literally “a good return”. Or perhaps they are saying Bon Rondenez – “a good round”. Then again, it could be Bon Randonez – “a good ride”. I ponder over the possibilities to distract myself from the incline of the trail. It is hard work, but worth it, yes? Yes, I tell myself! The steeper the grade, the faster on-coming cyclists pass us. But occasionally we are able to exchange pleasantries, even if those pleasantries are lost on the two Americans smiling, nodding, bonjouring, and huffing their way up the trail. Over our labored breathing, we begin to hear a new phrase “à gauche, s’il vous plait”. We need no translation! We hear the English version of this often while cycling around Salem Lake at home: “on your left!”. It is the polite warning that you are about to be passed!
It isn't long before we hear the sound of rushing water, but this time we are not racing down the mountain with it but are climbing up the mountain against it. Faster and faster the water cascades over stones and falling trees; and slower and slower we go. At last, there is a patch of sunlight, and we pull over. It was so worth the effort! We are rewarded with a large pond held back by a dam.
An old iron wheel sits nearby that I suspect generated power for something. We explore for any sign of its prior life, but the earth has swallowed up whatever was here before.
After a much-needed rest, we were back in the shady tunnel of tall evergreens and continuing our slow gradual ascent.
Our next Bed & Breakfast, the Gite de la Pisciculture, is on the trail about 5 kilometers before the highest point of Le P’Tit Train du Nord at Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré.
Suzanne gives us a tour. She is particularly proud of her 5 young chickens. They have started laying eggs this year, and each gives her one egg every morning. She introduces them to us by name after stowing our bikes in the hen house. “My chickens will keep your bikes safe overnight” Suzanne assures us.
There are five rooms in Gite de la Pisciculture. They are almost full tonight and have been full, or almost full, all summer. Suzanne and her husband Jacques are exhausted but happy to have had a good season. They tell us that it is much slower in the winter when most guests are weekenders, and they have a chance to recover between guests.
Just across the road is a large park, a parc ècotouristique, with a mix of very old, very new, and not-yet-completed. The stone house, circa 1830, has been converted into a fish farming museum and restaurant. The counter-service-only restaurant, Chez Emile, serves incredibly delicious and healthy local fish dishes. Seating is entirely outside, and the grounds are beautifully manicured with stone walkways, fountains, and new flowerbeds nestled among the 100-year-old apple trees.
Just behind the stone house is the starting point of the area’s new attraction: the Treetop Tower. The Treetop Walk begins at the top of this “little” tower
and ends about a kilometer later at the BIG tower rising 40 meters (131 feet) high, and offering a stunning panoramic view of the Laurentian forest and mountains.
The footbridge and main tower are designed to be barrier-free, with a maximum slope of 6%, making them easily accessible to strollers and wheelchairs, and we suspect, tired cyclists. Full disclosure: Ron and I did not climb up, opting instead for a Poke, loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables, and salmon, while we people-watched from the deck.
The park only opened two weeks ago, and traffic has been crazy, Jacques tells us. I suppress a smile – THIS is heavy traffic?! Jacques, a trained chef, has owned this home since the 1970s when it was the restaurant for “The Old Fishpond Farm” as the stone house across the road was known. That explains the B&B name Gite de la Pisciculture – “Cottage of the Fish Farm”. When the old fish farm closed in the 1990s, Jacques converted the restaurant into a B&B catering to bikers and hikers in the summer and cross-country skiers and snowmobilers in the winter. “But now with The Tower...” he just shakes his head “it is too much.” But for the moment he seems happy to have so many hungry travelers to feed.
Bike Talk
Mont-Tremblant (km 91) to Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré (km 75)
Distance 17.2 miles
Biking Time 2 hours 3 minutes
Average Speed 8.3 mph
Top Speed 19.2 mph
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